Thursday, February 26, 2009

The plaque reads.. " Astor Street District
Constructed over a period of more than 60 years, the buildings along Astor Street reflect the fashionable styles favored by their original residents. Nineteenth century houses, in their various historical revival styles, are interspersed with apartment buildings, forming a unique reminder of the city's history.

Designated a Chicago Landmark on Dec 19, 1975
by City Council of Chicago.
Richard J Daley, Mayor
Commission on Chicago Historical and Architectural Landmarks."

Some of the buildings that I found particularly interesting are:
# Archbishop's Residence
# Patterson McCormick Mansion
# Charney House
# William O. Goodman House
# William Wrigley residence
# John Wellborn Root's residence

William O. Goodman House..
Address: 1355 N Astor Street
Architect: Howard Van Doren Shaw
Completed: 1913
William Owen Goodman made a fortune in the lumber business and he was the donor of the popular downtown theater that bears his name "Goodman Theater"...

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

This mansion completed in 1885, with 19 chimneys, and spanning an entire block serves as Archbishop's Residence. Seven archbishops have lived here, and world leaders from Franklin D Roosevelt to Pope John Paul II have crashed at the residence while in town.

State Street entrance..

Side view from Astor Street..

Outhouse..

Just behind the Archbishop's residence is the wood block alley running east and west between State St. and Astor St.. The Wooden Alley is one of two remaining wood block alleys in the city; the other is on the 2100 block of North Hudson Avenue ... For more on the Wooden Alley.. click here..

Wood block alley ...
In the landmark Astor Street District in the Gold Coast area, directly behind Archbishop's Residence [at 1555 N State Parkway] ... is the wood block alley running east and west between State St. and Astor St ..

A reminder of the days when the streets of Chicago were paved with wood blocks and covered with tar ... which led to the fact that "streets were burning" during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

The Gold Coast Wooden Alley is one of two remaining wood block alleys in the city; the other is on the 2100 block of North Hudson Avenue ...

POSTSCRIPT..
Woodblock Alley is now gone..

Image taken June 3, 2011..

Woodblock Alley now gone replaced with brick and concrete..
The woodbloack alley has been torn away.
It happened someday in the end of May 2011.

This collaboration of two of the world's most-famous architects combines the geometry, massing, and detailing of a mature Louis Sullivan with the earliest hint of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie-style planning and design. A compact urban townhouse that takes maximum advantage of its small city lot, it was built for James Charnley, a Chicago lumber dealer.

" James Charney House
has been designated a
National Historic Landmark
This home, designed in 1891 by Louis Sullivan and Frank Llyod Wright, is an important work in the development of modern residential architecture and possess national significance in commemorating the history of the United States of America.
1998
National Park Service
United States Department of the Interior."

" Charnley Persky House
1365 North Astor
Headquarters of the
Society of Architectural Historians"

About John Wellborn Root ... from the article: "John Wellborn Root – Astor Street Residence"..click here.. A founder of the “Chicago School” of architecture, Root is noted in history as one of the pioneering architects of modernism. Tragically, Root died an untimely death from pneumonia, in this residence, when he was just 41 years old. At the time, he was chief architect for the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 and a business partner with Daniel Burnham.
Root pioneered modern steel-frame construction. He is credited with developing the floating raft system of interlaced steel and concrete. His innovation of a reinforced concrete slab allowed a building of immense weight to rest on a solid foundation, even in uncertain soil conditions. His ground-breaking design allowed for the elimination of heavy foundation stones and the opening up of below grade elevations providing for unobstructed basements.

The FOUR grand mansions on the 1200-block [1250, 1254, 1258 and 1260 N Lake Shore Drive] ... together with ... the THREE in the 1500-block [1516, 1524 and 1530 N Lake Shore Drive] ... are the SEVEN houses that form the "Seven Houses on Lake Shore Drive District", designated a Chicago landmark in 1989 ..These mansions are rare survivors of what Lake Shore Drive looked like when it developed as a prestigious residential street in the late-19th century. The architects of these buildings include the prestigious firms of: Holabird & Roche, Benjamin Marshall, McKim, Mead & White and Howard Van Doren Shaw ...

House of Bernard Albert Eckhart ...
It now serves as the Consulate-General of the Republic of Poland in Chicago ..
Architect: Benjamin H Marshall
Completed: 1916
Address: 1530 N Lake Shore Drive..

The residence at 1530 Lake Shore Drive was built in 1916 for Bernard Albert Eckhart, a prominent businessman, philanthropist, and politician. The architect was Benjamin H. Marshall . A 4-story rear addition was inserted between the historic residence and the rear coach house and incorporates a contemporary, simplified version of the historic building design. The Seven Houses on Lake Shore Drive District was designated a Chicago Landmark on June 28, 1989.
The architect Benjamin H Marshall is renowned for the designs of the Blackstone Hotel, the South Shore Country Club, and the Drake Hotel ..

Originally house of Eleanor Robinson Countiss ..
It now serves as the Museum of Surgical Sciences ...
Architect: Howard Van Doren Shaw
Completed: 1917
Address: 1516 and 1524 N Lake Shore Drive ...
The historic lakeside mansion that is now the Museum was constructed in 1917, under the careful direction of Eleanor Robinson Countiss to house her family. The elegant structure was designed to follow the historic lines of Le Petit Trianon, a French chateau on the grounds of Versailles completed in 1770 for Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The noted Chicago architect Howard Van Doren Shaw was hired to design the Countiss mansion with modifications including a fourth floor added to the original design, adding a door on the side street, and opening up the northernmost bay for a carriage drive. The Countiss family was the sole owner of the building until 1950, when it was acquired by Dr. Max Thorek and the International College of Surgeons. After several years of renovating the building and forming the Museum collection, the Museum opened its doors to the public for the first time in 1954 under the direction of Dr. Max Thorek. One of the few remaining lakefront mansions, and the only one open to the public.
The Seven Houses on Lake Shore Drive District was designated a Chicago Landmark on June 28, 1989. it is also listed in the National Register and the Illinois Register of Historic Places. REF: Historic Homes: International Museum of Surgical Sciences ...

The Chicago Landmarks official website explains .. The eight buildings, designed between 1912 and 1929 by the architectural firms of Marshall & Fox and Fugard & Knapp, epitomizes the city's luxury apartment boom of the early-20th century .. By creating a formal and harmonious streetscape, the designers helped establish the apartment building as an acceptable alternative to large townhouses or suburban estates.

The Drake..
Location: 140 E Walton Drive ..
Designed by Marshall and Fox ..
Completed: 1920 ..
The Drake Hotel was built by William Drake, who owned it until the Great Depression. It was designed in the Italian Renaissance style. At the time it was built, The Drake's 537 rooms were rivaled only by The Palmer Hotel .. The Drake boasts of an illustrious history of being a stopping place for the likes of Princess Diana, and Winston Churchill among others. The Drake was also the location of shooting for many films like "Mission: Impossible" and "My Best Friend's Wedding".

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All the images in this blog and my other blogs, have been produced by me. See and enjoy the images. But please do not use or reproduce any of these images without written permission.
Contact at: jyoti[at]lensimpressions[dot]net